Mills Operator Bell Slot Machine
- Mills Liberty Bell Slot Machine
- Mills Operator Bell Slot Machine Slot
- Mills Operator Bell Slot Machine Jackpots
- Bell Slot Machine
Origin of Slot Machines
While a number of casino games have similar components, characteristics and other features throughout the casino history, slot machines differ with their uniqueness and specific traits. However, even if to consider the growing popularity of various slot machine games that significantly increased in the beginning of the 21st century, most people who are involved in playing slots know so little about its progress.
Slots History Milestones
The slot evolution starts with bar games and their inventors which simply added cards or illustrations on the drums and applied a level that started the game making the drums spinning and keep the player in excitement till the result is evident. If the player had 3 similar symbols he could happily claim for rewards and get cigars, drinks, food or something of the kind.
First Generation of Slot Machines
How did the online slot games evolve? When was the first slot machine seen? Know all about online slot machines and their origin by reading the article until the end. Mills 25-cent BLUE BELL hi-top antique slot machine, 1948. Original Mills lock and key. All of the original anti-theft drill plates are in place.
The term slot machine was originally used for all automatic vending machines. A 'fruit machine' is one British term for a slot machine.
The first outstanding German mechanic who immigrated to the United States made his mark on gambling history and invented the unique Liberty Bell machine. You may ask why it was unique and what its absolute significance was. The answer is quite simple: firstly, this type of slot machine was the first to remunerate the winner with real money, and secondly it replaced standard deck of cards with five symbols. The name for this automated machine was given in accordance with the symbols printed on the 3 drums: diamonds, spades, hearts, horseshoes and, of course, the Liberty Bell symbol.
The Period of Liberty Bell Copies
According to the slot history in the year of 1907 Charles Fey made his mind to cooperate with the Mills Novelty Company that manufactured their version of the original Liberty Bell. It was called the Mills Liberty Bell. The drums of the machine displayed the playing card symbols of King, Queen and Jack. The machine also equipped with a bell made noise when a player was lucky to get the winning combination (later it was removed). The fundamentals of this machine design are still utilized for all modern slots.
In 1910 the Mills Novelty Company produced another version of slot machine that was much lighter in weight and renamed it to Operator Bell. It differed from the previous version with fruit symbols on the reels and coin deposit slot. Over 30,000 of these slot machines were released and it is worth mentioning that all of them were in great demand among gamblers from various regions.
In 1915 cast iron machines were replaced with alternative wood cabinets that were less expensive and easier to construct.
The Age of Silent Bell Machines
In the 1930s a number of changes were made to slot machines. Those included the removing of (Silent Bells), double jackpot (opportunity to win twice in a row, the design of slot machines became more colorful and attractive. Some cabinets were given pompous names that evoke a feeling of power and chic: Lion Head (early 1931), War Eagle & Roman Head (late 1931) and Castle Front (1933).
At the Peak of Popularity: Novelties
In the 1950s the slot history resulted in electro-mechanical machines. This was the peak of slot machines popularity. During this period gamblers received another gambling innovation such as Big Bertha (later the Super Big Bertha). These slot machines were installed with a five horse powered motor and eight reels with 20 symbols per each reel and suggested 80 percent payback to gamers.
Another electro-mechanical achievement produced by Bally Manufacturing in 1964 was called Money Honey. It was completely different in outside cosmetic design and electrical elements that replaced springs and levers. Innovations allowed exciting sounds and glimmering bright lights during the game session and of course when a player used to hit the jackpot.
The Liberty Bell was the first variation of the modern mechanical slot machine we see today, originally being referred to as a 'fruit machine' or 'one-armed bandit'. Created in 1894 by Charles Fey (1862–1944), a car mechanic from San Francisco, the Liberty Bell's popularity set the standard for the modern slot machine; its three-reel model is still used today despite great advances in slot technology over the past several decades. An original Liberty Bell slot machine is currently on display at the Liberty Belle saloon in Reno, Nevada as a historic artifact.[1]
How it worked[edit]
Each of Liberty Bell's three reels were imprinted with a symbol of a diamond, heart, spade, horseshoe, star and a cracked Liberty Bell. Once the player deposited a nickel, he could pull the lever on the side of the machine and the reels would begin to spin, stopping on any random combination of symbols. If the same symbol appeared on all three reels a bell would ring and the player would be awarded with coins. Three Liberty Bells offered the largest payout of fifty cents (10 nickels), which was ejected by the machine.[1]
Payouts[edit]
The payouts for the Liberty Bell were as follows:
- 2 horseshoes = 5 cents
- 2 horseshoe + 1 star = 10 cents
- 3 spades = 20 cents
- 3 diamonds = 30 cents
- 3 hearts = 40 cents
- 3 Liberty Bells = 50 cents
Popularity[edit]
Mills Liberty Bell Slot Machine
In 1907, with the growing popularity and demand for the Liberty Bell, the Mills Novelty Company began manufacturing the 'Mills Liberty Bell'.[2]
Mills Operator Bell Slot Machine Slot
In 1910 the company introduced a slight variation of the Liberty Bell, called the Operator Bell. Changes such as a gooseneck coin acceptor and fruit symbols to replace the traditional images became a standard for slot machines for decades to come, and over 30,000 of these machines were produced. In 1915 the company then began manufacturing a less expensive version of the Operator Bell, replacing the heavy cast iron machines with ones made out of lighter wooden cabinets.[2]
In the early 1930s the Mills Novelty company made additional changes to their line of slot machines. First, they designed it so that their machines were much more quieter, which eventually gave the machines the name 'silent bells'. Secondly, they created a line of themed wooden cabinets each with its own unique design, the first being Lion Head released in 1931.[3]
It was this time in the 1930s that slot machines saw a rise of popularity in America. In the late 1940s Bugsy Siegel added slot machines to his Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, initially as a way to entertain the wives and girlfriends of high rollers. Soon the revenue generated from these machines matched those of the table games.[3]
References[edit]
Mills Operator Bell Slot Machine Jackpots
- ^ abInventors.about.com, The History of Slot Machines-Liberty Bell.
- ^ abSlot Machines Payout, Slot Machine History.
- ^ abSlot Tips Guide, The History of Slot Machines.